Prayer Recitation of Quran and Ablution or Bath

In Islam, it is compulsory to do ablution before offering a prayer. Sahih Muslim (2.0435) writes
that Allah will not accept any prayers without ablution. The rules on Islamic ablution are quite
elaborate, sometimes queer, and mind boggling. A devotee will wash with water his/her hands,
face, feet; pour water inside nostrils, then gush it out, gurgle water and pass wet hands around
his/her neck to complete the ritual of ablution. There are strict rules on the number of times each
limb should be washed, and how many times water is to be gurgled. We shall review, very
briefly, a few features of Islamic ablution.
The most important reward from ablution is that it is a cleansing process—not for the body itself,
for, even after ablution plenty of dirt and pollution might stay in the body, but from all sins. In
reality, a Muslim can commit any number of sins, and just by performing ablution all the sins
committed prior to ablution will be expiated. Sahih Muslim (2.0476) writes that if you perform
ablution all sins will come out of your body even from your nails. To entice the Muslims to the
complete surrender to this endless daily ritual, Sahih Bukhari (1.4.161) writes that if a Muslim
performs perfect ablution Allah forgives sins committed between two prayers. In Sahih Muslim
(2.0475) we read that during ablution Allah forgives all sins (committed by eyes) for washing
eyes. Ditto for hands, and other parts of the body.
The above few sentences will explain why many Muslim students/residents in non Muslim
countries such as Australia, USA, Canada…and so on demand exclusive ablution facilities in
campuses and in other public toilets. They want to do perfect ablution so that whatever sins they
commit in infidel lands, such as doing sex with boy friend (infidel), girl friend (infidel), visiting
brothels, watching pornography, drinking wine, eating non halal food, joining disco dancing,
enjoying infidel parties. Having committed such sins, all they need is to perform a perfect
ablution within twenty four hours to absolve themselves from the contrition.Then they can start
all over again.
Mind you, the ritual of ablution does not always end with prayer. In Sunaan Abu Dawud
(1.1.0220) we read that one must perform ablution between two sexual intercourses. Here are a
few more rewards Allah has reserved for those Muslims who value the extraordinary purgatory
power of Islamic ablution.
When you gurgle during ablution, all sins go out of your mouth…(Sunaan Nasai, 1.104)
For performing perfect ablution there will be white blaze on your forehead and white blaze on
your feet…(Sahih Muslim, 2.0480, 0481)
Allah obliterates sins for performing a thorough ablution, walking to the mosque, and waiting for
the next prayer…(Sahih Muslim, 2.0485)
Ablution removes the sins of the face, mouth, and the nostrils…(Sahih Muslim, 4.1812)
If you do perfect ablution, your faces, hands, and feet will be brighter on the day of
resurrection…(Sahih Muslim, 2.0479, 0481)
And here are Allah’s punishments for not doing a standard ablution:
If you do not wash your feet during ablution, your feet will burn in hell fire…(Sahih Bukhari,
1.3.57)
Your feet will taste hell fire if you do not wash them during ablution…(Sahih Muslim, 2.0464)
Perform ablution after eating cheese; otherwise fire will touch you…(Sahih Muslim, 3.0687)
In Islam, it is not compulsory to bathe every day. It is quite all right not to bathe for the six days
of a week. The only recommended bath is the bathing on Fridays, to attend the juma prayer,
although a perfect ablution might do, in case there is shortage of water, or due to inconvenience.
When no water is available tayammum will do. This procedure (tayammum) consists of rinsing
oneself with dirt or dust. Imam Nasai (1.316) writes that a Muslim can bathe in dirt and dust
simply by rolling his body as a camel or a beast does.
However, Islamic bathing (ghusl) is compulsory under certain cases. These are:
Convert to Islam, must take a bath…(Sunaan Nasai, 1.190, 191)
Bury a polytheist, must take a bath…(Sunaan Nasai, 1.192)
After doing sexual intercourse, and if you ejaculate…(Sahih Muslim, 3.0670)
It is important for a Muslim to offer a prayer correctly. Here are a few salient features of Islamic
prayer.
Ghazali (p.1.145) writes that when you stand for prayer your head should perspire, your limbs
should tremble and your face should change. He also writes (ibid, p.1.152) that Allah and his
angels bless those who wear turban on juma days. This explains why most diehard Islamists we
watch on televisions wear turbans. A turban is an Arab’s pride. So is it with Islam, since Islam is
nothing but Arabism. A turban clad Islamist is the perfect embodiment of Islam (Arab); it is the
symbol, a guarantee of his perfect observance of Islamic prayers.
One more interesting feature of Islamic ritual is the recitation of the Qur'an before and after the
prayer, or at any other convenient time, though early morning is the best time to indulge in this
ritual. Reciting the Qur'an before and after the prayer earns special benefit points.
So, what is special about the Qur'an recitation?
The important point is that to earn the maximum score, the Qur'an reciter must weep during
recitation. Ghazali (p.2.176) writes that the true believers weep when they recite the Qur’an, and
if they cannot weep then they must pretend to do so (ibid, p.1.213).
If you are not careful in reciting the Qur'an in a proper manner, it can bring you disaster. Here is
what Ghazali (p.2.176) writes about the devastating power of the Qur'an:
Once Muhammad recited a verse from the Qur’an and at once fell down senseless. Once Umar
heard a man reciting a verse on punishment, He (Umar) immediately raised a loud shriek and fell
down senseless. He was brought to house but suffered for a month. Abu Dharr listened to the
recitation of the Qur’an by Saleh Mari; raised a loud shriek and died on the spot. Imam Shafei
once fell unconscious when he listened to the recitation of the Qur’an by a Qazi.
Farting is problematic in Islam. During prayer, a worshipper must not fart. Sahih Bukhari
(1.4.137) writes that Allah will not accept a Muslim’s prayer if he/she passes wind during the
ritual. The exception occurs if the worshipper farts silently, or the fart does not smell. In such a
case, he/she may continue with the prayer (ibid, 1.4.139).
Sunaan Nasai (1.162) writes that if you fart during a prayer you must redo ablution. Sahih
Bukhari (9.86.86) says that for a “farter” Allah will not accept his/her prayer until he/she
performs another ablution.
Islamic prayers do not end with five rituals a day. Even when doing sexual intercourse a Muslim
must pray so that Satan does not harm the child (Sahih Bukhari, 8.75.397). Sahih Muslim
(3.0597, 0598) recommends that after the sexual intercourse, do ablution then go to sleep.
Another hadis recommends that after finishing the night prayer do sex with your wife;
Muhammad did likewise (Sahih Muslim, 4.1612), so it is Sunna to copy Muhammad's actions.